Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Gender Differences In Perceptions Of Ai's Impact On Social Media, Samkit Bothra

Florida Atlantic Undergraduate Research Journal

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping social media through content personalization and moderation, raising questions about its influence on public opinion and trust in digital news. Gender plays a key role in shaping perceptions of AI’s impact, with men and women potentially viewing its applications differently. This study explored gender-based perspectives on AI’s role in social media, focusing on its effects on information credibility and privacy. Data from 155 participants, collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk, were analyzed using IBM’s SPSS. The first hypothesis proposed that women would be more skeptical than men about AI's use in news, citing greater concerns …

Scroll Control: Reducing The Influence Of Social Media Trends On Adolescent Risk-Taking, Camilla Vitola-Franchi

Psychology

Adolescents tend to take more risks than other age groups due to a combination of sensitive reward systems, lower impulse control, and stronger susceptibility to peer influences. These days, many adolescents spend a substantial amount of time on social media, which can further influence their decision-making. Although risk-taking plays an important role in adolescent development, social media can increase exposure to unhealthy and potentially dangerous forms of risk. Dangerous online trends and the addictive nature of social media algorithms contribute to the normalization of risky behavior and expose adolescents to social pressures, leading them to be more likely to take …

Emotional Intelligence Documentary - The Importance Of Consciousness And The Art Of Noticing, Vidhya M. Biju

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence through the Humanities in Spain

This documentary follows my journey through Spain, which unexpectedly becomes a reflection on consciousness and what it means to live with intention. Through encounters with art, culture, and human connection, I examine how modern life, shaped by social media, automation, optimization, and routine, has weakened our capacity to think critically, reflect deeply, and remain present. The film argues that this loss of consciousness not only affects our personal lives but also influences how we respond to larger issues such as inequality, suffering, and social responsibility. Drawing on the philosophy of René Descartes and the poetry of Pablo Neruda, I explore …

Unfriending The Kids: The Problematic Race To Childproof Social Media, Randolph A. Robinson Ii

Cleveland State Law Review

A growing number of states have recently enacted new laws with the goal of protecting young people from potential harm allegedly caused by social media use. These laws are diverse in their approaches but broadly seek to limit youth access to social media platforms by imposing age verification and parental consent requirements. These laws directly implicate the First Amendment rights of both young users who will no longer be able to access speech or speak on social media platforms as well as adult users who must now submit to age verification to access these quintessential forums for political discourse.

These …

Online Rights Defense Among Chinese Americans Against Racial Aggression In The U.S. During The Covid-19, Fangzhu Lu, Wenshan Jia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

This study investigates how Chinese American communities responded to heightened racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing social media platforms to safeguard their civil rights, articulate collective concerns, and mobilize resistance against racial aggression.

Methodology

Through qualitative case study analysis, the research examines the social media activities of six advocacy organizations, including three X accounts (WashTheHate, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Asian Americans Advancing Justice) and three Instagram accounts (Stop AAPI Hate, Stop Asian Hate, Advancing Justice: AAJC). The analysis focuses on the content strategies and communication mechanisms employed to counteract racial hostility.

Findings

The selected organizations used social …

Legal Scholarship In An Age Of Social Media, Miriam Cherry

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

This symposium essay will offer insights into how legal scholarship—and the law—are changing in a time of social media. Platforms or their names may change, but the immediacy and connection that they offer, for better or worse, here to stay. The argument amounts to two sides of the same coin. Social media can raise the salience of an issue, story, or event, and in doing so, may provide information that helps to inform our work as legal scholars. The converse is also true: legal scholarship also needs to study social media. This essay takes each point in turn.

Likes, Lies, And Body Esteem: The Moderating Effects Of Age, Concealment, And Gender Between Social Media And Body Esteem For Utah Adolescents, Talise Hirschi

Theses and Dissertations

Social media use has become common among adolescents and contains many messages about one's body such as the thin and muscular ideal. Many parents are learning how to help their adolescent learn how to use social media, and some adolescents may conceal their social media use for various reasons. 588 adolescents (ages 11-18; 77% White; 55% female) from Utah filled out surveys about their social media use and body esteem each school year. In a two-wave cross lag panel model, specific aspects of social media use such as time spent on social media, problematic media use (PMU), and social media …

Online Harassment And Mental Health Among Collegiate Student-Athletes: Findings From An Ncaa Division I Conference Survey, M. Courtney Hughes, Michelle K. Demaray, Emily A. Skiba, Sarah E. Warriner

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Social media is central to college athletics, yet public visibility can expose collegiate student-athletes to online harassment, a risk the NCAA has recently highlighted by documenting sizable volumes of abusive, discriminatory, and betting-related content directed at athletes and officials. This study surveyed 85 NCAA Division I student-athletes from ten universities across the Mid-American Conference and assessed social-media behaviors, online harassment exposure, depression, and anxiety. Most athletes used social media 1–3 hours/day, 78% enabled name-mention alerts, and platforms commonly used included Instagram (98.8%) and X (65.9%). Online harassment was reported via social posts (9.4%), direct messages (4.7%), and texts (3.5%), with …

The Role Of Social Media Influencers In Brand Communication Strategies, Elvis Madondo, Eunice Akindeji

ASEAN Marketing Journal

Manuscript type: Review Paper.

Research Aims: This study aims to examine the role of social media influencers in shaping contemporary brand communication strategies and to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with influencer marketing practices. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a semi-systematic literature review approach by analyzing previous studies related to influencer marketing, brand communication, customer engagement, and consumer behavior across digital platforms. Research Findings: The findings indicate that brands strategically select influencers whose personal branding aligns with the company’s values and identity to enhance customer engagement and brand perception. Long-term collaborations between brands and influencers are also found to strengthen …

Instagram Influencers And Egyptian Women: Links To Self- Perception And Behavior, Fatma El Sayad

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid rise of Instagram influencers has transformed the ways young women engage with media, shaping perceptions of appearance, lifestyle, success, and everyday behavior. This study examines how frequent exposure to Instagram influencers affects self-esteem, internalization of beauty and lifestyle ideals, perceived realism of influencer content, and behavioral and consumption habits among young Egyptian females. The study explores participants’ lived experiences, interpretations, and coping strategies in relation to influencer culture. Perceived influencer credibility emerged as a key factor for females to follow them, influencers viewed as relatable, specialized, and transparent were more likely to inspire adaptive behaviors, whereas those promoting …

Show Your Rules: Ab 587 And The Future Of Content Moderation Disclosure Laws, Roz Kohan

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

Social media platforms play an integral role in social and political life. They control a large proportion of public speech through their own rules, curation, and freedom to amplify or suppress content as they see fit. California’s AB 587 requires social media platforms to disclose these content moderation policies.

The Ninth Circuit in X Corp. v. Bonta recently invalidated AB 587’s Content Category Report provisions because it compelled commercial speech. This Note explains why this ruling is inaccurate. The Ninth Circuit misapplied Moody v. NetChoice, the key Supreme Court precedent that recognized platforms’ First Amendment protections around their editorial …

"What About Me?": Explaining Voting Patterns Among Young Men In The 2024 Election, Camille Moore

University Honors Theses

This study analyzes the recent rightward shift in voting patterns among Gen Z men in the 2024 election cycle and beyond. Drawing on procedural justice theory, it argues that deterrence from the Democratic party, rather than appeals from the opposition, was the primary driver of the shift, and that this deterrence reflects perceptions of procedural unfairness and exclusion from Democratic party agendas and policymaking platforms. A qualitative empirical analysis, including interviews with a politically and demographically diverse sample of men aged 21-26 in Oregon, supports this argument. Participants felt unjustly excluded from the left based largely on identity-related concerns and …

The Impact Of Social Media Use For Service Delivery By Library Personnel In Nigeria., Jamiu Adewale Abdulsalam, Soliudeen Idowu Sanni, Shasil Adedoyin Opoola

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined how social media is impacting service delivery by the library personnel in two universities of Ogun State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design, correlational type was followed and a total enumeration sampling technique was applied to get all 105 members of the library staff from the two selected universities. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire, which was developed to capture the social media patterns of users and service delivery. Descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation) were used for data analysis. It was found that the most common library services …

Modeling The Spread Of Competing Narratives In Multimodal Social Media Network, Mayor Inna Gurung

Theses and Dissertations

Social media has fundamentally transformed how narratives are produced, contested, and disseminated, enabling competing interpretations of the same event to spread rapidly across networked populations. Understanding how narratives gain traction over others in these environments is critical for addressing misinformation, supporting informed public discourse, and designing effective counter-messaging strategies. Yet existing research largely treats narrative propagation as a single-process phenomenon and focuses predominantly on textual data, overlooking both the competitive dynamics between opposing narratives and the growing role of visual symbolic communication in shaping how narratives are received. This dissertation addresses these gaps through a multi-platform, multimodal framework applied to …

The Influence Of Social Media Messaging On Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Attitudes And Confidence Among Adolescent Males: Group Discussion Study, Neha Trivedi, Rachel Van Vleet, Czesia Eid, Amelia Burke-Garcia, Amy Leader

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine being available to males for the past 12 years, adolescent males continue to lag in HPV vaccine uptake due to a variety of factors. With the ubiquitous nature of social media use among this population, further research is needed to improve HPV vaccine confidence among young adolescent males using these platforms.

OBJECTIVE: Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), this study sought to better understand knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about HPV and HPV vaccination among male adolescents aged 14-17 years and examine how social media messaging influences vaccine perceptions and explore the characteristics of …

Social Influencers Reduce Infection Burden And Modify Epidemic Lag In Group-Structured Populations, Aja Sutton, Adam Z. Reynolds, Matthew A. Turner, James Holland Jones

Publications, Reports and Presentations

The impact of online social influence on social learning, health behaviour and population health is a new, rapidly developing area of study. Previous research focused specifically on digital influencers suggests they may be able to affect group-level diffusion of health-protective behaviours such that they modify epidemic outcomes. However, formal models have yet to test the intuitive hypothesis that the effect of digital influencers is sufficient to generate tangible real-world effects on epidemics. We develop an agent-based model that incorporates digital influencers into an epidemic scenario to test hypotheses about how competing influence messages affect the diffusion of health-protective behaviours throughout …

Doomscrolling, Algorithms, And Ai Literacy: A Potent Combination Of Influence On Generation Z, Jacob Le

Communication Studies

This study examines the doomscrolling habits Generation Z’s and its effects on individuals’ awareness of algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) presence on social media feeds. The experiment was conducted via a survey embedded experiment, through which participants self-reported their social media habits, awareness of how their social media algorithms shape their thinking, and ability to discern and productively interact with AI content on their feeds. The survey embedded experiment was created and distributed via Qualtrics, and data was analyzed via IBM SPSS 25. Results indicated that doomscrolling and spending excessive amounts of time on social media daily does not necessarily …

Social Media Is A Juggernaut: Lagged Correlation Analysis Using Ngram Data On “Internet” And “Social Media” With Amplification By The Advent Of The “Iphone”, William Zywiak, Gao Niu, Nicolas Petrell, Victoria Nichele, Kirsten Hokeness

Mathematics and Economics Faculty Journal Articles

The amount of new information transmitted per day can be overwhelming. The data available through Ngram Viewer allows statistical examination to determine the most salient topics, as well as lagged correlation and lagged variance to support possible causal connections between concepts. Using this database, we determined that COVID, crypto, microplastics, and especially social media are important topics of the last few years. We also present results that suggest the development of the internet and the iPhone fueled the prominence of social media, and the access of the iPhone also increased access to the internet.

Regulating Psychological Wellness Grifters, Jennifer D. Oliva

Georgia State University Law Review

The rapid expansion of social media has transformed the delivery of psychological wellness advice, shifting mental health guidance from licensed professionals to digital influencers operating outside of traditional regulatory frameworks. As the global wellness industry surpasses $2 trillion, millions of Americans—particularly adolescents and young adults—consume mental health content from uncredentialed creators who often monetize psychological distress without professional oversight. Documented harms include misinformation about psychiatric medications, improper management of suicidality, unqualified diagnostic claims, and the migration of disciplined clinicians into unregulated “life coaching” roles.

This Article argues that state professional licensing regimes—governing psychologists, clinical social workers, professional counselors, and marriage …

Let's Talk Twenties, Yuwa R. Tennen

Graphic Communication

“Let’s Talk Twenties” is a senior design project that explores what it really feels like to be in your twenties...the highs, the lows, and everything in between. It focuses on creating an open, relatable space where conversations about identity, relationships, and personal growth feel honest and normalized. The goal is to break away from the pressure of having everything figured out and instead highlight the shared experiences that define this stage of life.

Through thoughtful short-form content, branding, and storytelling, the project combines engaging visuals with real, meaningful content to connect with young adults. It emphasizes authenticity, inclusivity, and emotional …

Youtube As A Tool For Digital Diplomacy And Strategic Security: A Comparative Analysis Of Russia And Kazakhstan, Bekzat Baktybekovna Baktybekova, Elmira Kagazbaeva, Botagoz Ali

Journal of Strategic Security

In the context of growing competition in the information space, digital diplomacy is gaining key importance for the strategic security of states. This study analyzes how Russia and Kazakhstan use the YouTube platform to promote their foreign policy narratives, shape the image of the state, and strengthen digital sovereignty. Based on a qualitative analysis of 60 videos (30 for each country) published by official government channels between 2020 and 2024, differences in strategies, visual codes, tonality, and patterns of interaction with the audience were identified. The Russian approach is characterized by an aggressive narrative, antagonism to Western structures, and a …

The Cultivation Of Public Perception: Cultivated Meat Narratives And Misinformation On Tiktok, Anna M. Balkus

Graduate Masters Theses

Cultivated meat is an emerging tissue engineering technology that has the potential to address major issues threatening food systems, including climate change, rapid population growth, and the spread of disease. Among technical challenges, public perception remains a significant barrier for the widespread adoption of cultivated meat. While social media has transformed communication globally, it has simultaneously contributed to corrupt online environments infected with misinformation—unintentional inaccuracies that differ from disinformation, which is spread with the intent to mislead. The way the public receives and digests information regarding new food technologies, like cultivated meat, will be shaped by their social media environment. …

Leveraging Social Media Recruitment In Health Science Education: A Scoping Review, Crystalyn Richard, Natalie Nguyen, Luong Thien Nguyen, Alison Hansen

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

Background: Equitable recruitment practices are essential to the diversification of health science educational applicant pools. This scoping review aimed to understand the existing literature supporting the use and implementation of SM (SM) for recruitment in various health science educational programs. Methods: A comprehensive search utilizing the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework was used to collect and analyze existing articles. Keyword selection followed by an iterative process for article inclusion using Covidence application for article analysis and inclusion/exclusion. A thematic analysis method was employed to synthesize findings from the studies that met our inclusion criteria. Results: The initial keyword …

Using The Uniform For Views: How The Department Of Defense Can Better Protect Its Brand And Image, Maddox Rose

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

Today, the vast majority of American military servicemembers have active personal social media accounts. By creating and posting content online—particularly when in uniform—they run the risk of reflecting poorly on the image of the Department of Defense and their respective branches. Yet, the statutory and regulatory restrictions on content creation are loose and ambiguous. To combat this problem, either the Department and its branches should clarify their regulations, or Congress should amend its statutory protections. There is scholarly disagreement as to whether an entity’s right of publicity is violated when social media content is created that reflects poorly upon that …

Posts, Not Personae: Why Influencer Personae Fall Outside The Doctrine Of Character Copyright, Abbey Brantley

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

Over the past decade, social media has enabled an increasing number of people to pursue influencing as a full-time career on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. To succeed commercially, these creators make repeated stylistic choices that both conform to online trends and project a carefully curated persona. As these personae become profitable, however, they also become susceptible to imitation. This dynamic raises the question whether copyright law, specifically the doctrine of character copyright, can protect influencers from unauthorized copying of their online identities. This Note argues that influencer personae do not and should not qualify for such protection, …

Voices Within: How Ncii Survivors Reconstruct Self Concept Through Intrapersonal Communication, Keisha Aurellia Devinia, Aiza Nabilla Arifputri

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This study examines Non-Consensual Intimate Image Sharing (NCII) as a form of digital gender-based violence that disrupts women’s self-concept beyond its psychological consequences, particularly among female victims active on social media. It aims to analyze their intrapersonal communication experiences and how they redefine self-concept following the incident. This study employs a qualitative approach, gathering data by performing in-depth interview with five female NCII victims who actively use social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, and X. The study draws on Stuart & Laraia’s (1998) self-concept theory, which includes five analytical dimensions: body image, ideal self, self-esteem, role performance, …

Pengaruh Media Sosial Terhadap Proses Pembelajaran Mahasiswa Perpustakaan Dan Sains Informasi, Aswan Pratama, Muh Wahyu Al Fauzal Nasrul, Harianto Harianto

Jurnal Ilmu Informasi, Perpustakaan, dan Kearsipan

This study aims to analyze the influence of social media usage on the learning process of Library and Information Science students. Using a qualitative method with in-depth interview techniques, this research explores students' experiences and lecturers' perspectives regarding digital interaction in an academic context. The results identify four main patterns: high digital distraction increasing cognitive load, the use of social media as a learning support system, emotional dependency triggering academic procrastination, and self-control strategies applied by students. The findings indicate that social media has a dualistic impact; on one hand, it serves as a source of distraction and time management …

I Miss My Computer: Online Artistry, Web Aesthetics, And Coming-Of-Age In A Digital Landscape, Catherine Capeci

Masters Theses

This thesis explores how young artists develop their creative practices in a world informed by digitality. Through survey research of 44 art students between the ages of 14 and 22, as well as a process of autoethnographic inquiry, I examine how artists in high school and college relate to digital imagery, web archives, online gaming, and social media platforms, and how these experiences inform artmaking. I believe that art educators should explore how the internet informs aesthetic and conceptual sensibilities, and how these sensibilities show up in young artists’ work, more so than focus on digital media as its own …

Exploring The Uses And Gratifications Of Digital Ministry: A Qualitative Case Study Of Christian Engagement With Jonathan Pokluda’S Instagram, Lashalle A. Schornberg

Masters Theses

This study explores the uses and gratifications of Christian social media engagement through a qualitative content analysis of Instagram posts and user comments from digital ministry figure Jonathan Pokluda. While online ministries reach millions daily, limited research has examined how this content meets the spiritual, emotional, and relational needs of young audiences within a social media context. Grounded in uses and gratifications theory, this study analyzes 1,534 publicly available Instagram comments to identify patterns of engagement and user motivation. Through thematic analysis, eight primary forms of engagement emerged: brief encouragement and affirmation, emotional resonance, personal testimony and life disclosure, conversational …

A Causal-Comparative Analysis Of General Self-Efficacy And Social Media Use Among College Students With Differing Political Affiliations, Jennifer Lee Wool

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative research was to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in general self-efficacy and integration of social media use among college students who were Democrats compared to those who were Republicans. This is a relevant research topic because college students are a priority in the educational system, with attention to their general well-being, academic performance, and the effects of social media on their lives. There is a lack of research on this topic regarding political affiliation. The sample consisted of 165 college students from various colleges and universities. Participants were recruited from an …